Apple details fix for hanging Software Update installs

Apple this week published a support document advising Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard users on how to resolve a problem that may cause Software Update to hang while attempting to apply software updates.

"When attempting to update software using Software Update in Mac OS X 10.5, the update process may stop responding while 'Configuring installation' is visible in the update window," the company said. "This can occur if Software Update attempts to install an update that was only partially downloaded."

To resolve the issue, Apple recommends that you quit Software Update and then navigate to the directory on your hardware where the contents of pre-installed software updates reside. To get there, select "Go to Folder" from the Go menu in the Finder and type in "/Library/Updates" without the quotes, then click Go.

When the directory opens, delete the entire contents of the folder by selecting every item and moving it to the trash. Once this is completed, you can use Software Update again to re-download and install the update.

If the hanging issue occurs while installing an update after you've logged out of your Mac OS X account (such as an update that requires you to restart), shut down your Mac by holding down the power button, then power it back on and complete the steps above.

Can't they just release a better version? 10.5.6.1? I know it's a tad ridiculous to go that far with the number (GOD FORBID) but I really don't ever plan on installing this and dealing with the headache.

Can't they just release a better version? 10.5.6.1? I know it's a tad ridiculous to go that far with the number (GOD FORBID) but I really don't ever plan on installing this and dealing with the headache.

I'm installed it and seen it install on about 2 dozen machines and none of them went wrong. I wonder really how many folks are having trouble. probably not that many compared to the successes.

as for a better version. they likely are working on fixing it now that they should have some data on the issue. but for those that grabbed it and got stuck they didn't want to act like they are clueless and don't care. and it's info for those at the tech bars in the stores to fix the issue. though they likely already know that delete and try again trick.

I'm installed it and seen it install on about 2 dozen machines and none of them went wrong. I wonder really how many folks are having trouble. probably not that many compared to the successes.

I don't know if your example is saying much. If you're managing computers for a company, those Macs may be set up more homogenously than those of the general population, where most of the computers more or less have the same general set of applications. It may be a conflict with some framework that isn't installed on the computers you maintain, or some system preference setting, or third party preference pane that you don't use.

My system still froze during the update process using the stand alone installer (not software update) and I had a complete download. A hard reboot and everything is working fine showing 10.5.6 installed. Not exactly the smooth process I'd expect fro Apple, something is definitely not right... MacBookPro Intel Core 2 Duo Processor Speedt2.5 GHz

I had no problems with this update so far. Though a previous update bricked my G4 because it froze. I tried a bunch of things before I had to reinstall Leopard and use a combined update to get it working again. Apple had no advice for me at the time nor did any forums. At least they are now recognizing the problem and attempting to supply some sort of fix.

Can't they just release a better version? 10.5.6.1? I know it's a tad ridiculous to go that far with the number (GOD FORBID) but I really don't ever plan on installing this and dealing with the headache.

The only reason to put out another version is if the first one had errors or was wrong. An installation problem because the patch wasn't fully downloaded is another thing altogether.

It's also not "headache" if you don't intend installing it, and by far the majority of those installing it had no problems whatsoever anyway. You are seriously overstating the problem here.

In Windows, a window can be a document, it can be an application, or it can be a window that contains other documents or applications. Theres just no consistency. Its just a big grab bag of monkey...

My iMac G4 1 GHz 17" installed flawlessly using the Combo Update. My iMac G5 2.1 GHz iSight froze when it tried to restart after the installation completed. I did not receive the "Updating Boot Cache" dialog box that appeared on the iMac G4. I did a backup, just to be safe, ran Disk Utility which repaired minor errors, then restarted the iMac. Ran the Combo Update again and the installation completed as expected. So my iMac G5 with the minor disk error may have caused the problem.

The only reason to put out another version is if the first one had errors or was wrong. An installation problem because the patch wasn't fully downloaded is another thing altogether.

It's also not "headache" if you don't intend installing it, and by far the majority of those installing it had no problems whatsoever anyway. You are seriously overstating the problem here.

Well said. There is nothing wrong with the installer or the update. I had a slight hiccup with my iMac G5, but it had nothing to do with the integrity of the update itself. Fixed a disk error with Disk Utility, ran the Combo Update again, and all is good.

I've installed 10.5.6 on two computers, one a MacBook Pro and one a PowerBook. The MacBook Pro works perfectly, but with the PowerBook I can no longer use the aluminum keyboard I had plugged into it. The keyboard still works if I plug it into the MBP and an older keyboard still works with the PB. It's just the PB and aluminum keyboard combination that doesn't work.

If it's an error in the download, the checksum checking portion of the installer should be able to flag that and abort installation before even trying to perform the installation.

That's the whole point. It would appear that versions of 10.5 prior to 10.5.6 have an issue whereby the installer doesn't check the integrity of the installer file before installing it. Oops.

If you are upgrading to 10.5.6, then by definition you have a version prior to 10.5.6 so you may suffer from this problem. The problem is not with 10.5.6, it's with earlier versions. To fix the problem, you must upgrade to 10.5.6; but in the process of upgrading you may run into the problem that you are trying to fix! Catch 22!

How much of this is due to the legacy crud that is the Carbon libraries that OS X is still using for many of its apps? Updates to Safari and Quicktime still require reboots, which is ludicrous considering that the Linux software updates that don't involve the kernel never require reboots.

Hopefully, the cocoa-fication of Snow Leopard and the advent of Quicktime X will remove the need for some of these reboots. I'm aware than any changes to the kernel and some system files will always require reboots, but some of the instabilities lately have been jarring.

If it's an error in the download, the checksum checking portion of the installer should be able to flag that and abort installation before even trying to perform the installation.

Granted that Apple is playing a bit fast and loose by not mentioning exactly *why* the download didn't complete in some cases, but it's still a good update. I seem to remember this exact thing happening on a few previous updates but I could be mis-remembering.

In Windows, a window can be a document, it can be an application, or it can be a window that contains other documents or applications. Theres just no consistency. Its just a big grab bag of monkey...

How much of this is due to the legacy crud that is the Carbon libraries that OS X is still using for many of its apps? Updates to Safari and Quicktime still require reboots, which is ludicrous considering that the Linux software updates that don't involve the kernel never require reboots.

That's an over-simplification.

I have a CentOS 4 installation (free equivalent of RedHat Enterprise 4, for those unfamiliar) that needs an entire OS update to CentOS 5 in order to run Firefox 3 -- due to library dependencies. There are ways around that to get Firefox 3 installed, but none of that is official (risky and kind of defeats the purpose of running a stable, enterprise-level Linux).

I don't remember being required to do any reboot when I installed Firefox 3 on Ubuntu.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCE10

That's an over-simplification.

I have a CentOS 4 installation (free equivalent of RedHat Enterprise 4, for those unfamiliar) that needs an entire OS update to CentOS 5 in order to run Firefox 3 -- due to library dependencies. There are ways around that to get Firefox 3 installed, but none of that is official (risky and kind of defeats the purpose of running a stable, enterprise-level Linux).

How much of this is due to the legacy crud that is the Carbon libraries that OS X is still using for many of its apps? Updates to Safari and Quicktime still require reboots, which is ludicrous considering that the Linux software updates that don't involve the kernel never require reboots.

Hopefully, the cocoa-fication of Snow Leopard and the advent of Quicktime X will remove the need for some of these reboots. I'm aware than any changes to the kernel and some system files will always require reboots, but some of the instabilities lately have been jarring.

The way I've seen that explained is that several programs use the frameworks behind Safari (and I think Quicktime too) such that it makes a reboot necessary. Maybe the underpinnings of the GUI depend on some parts of it too. I'm not that knowledgeable about the underpinnings of OS X to go into any more detail than that.

The way I've seen that explained is that several programs use the frameworks behind Safari (and I think Quicktime too) such that it makes a reboot necessary. Maybe the underpinnings of the GUI depend on some parts of it too. I'm not that knowledgeable about the underpinnings of OS X to go into any more detail than that.

I'd be interested in knowing if these are the legacy frameworks that Apple is looking to get rid of, or if these are the new Cocoa frameworks that Apple is pushing.

I don't remember being required to do any reboot when I installed Firefox 3 on Ubuntu.

RPM long promised to solve Windows' DLL hell but never quite delivers. Library dependency is still a PITA.

Problem is that Firefox 3 requires pango-cairo library, where as Firefox 2 did not require it. CentOS 4, originally shipped w/ FF2, does not ship pango with cairo backend. You need to recompile pango library w/ cairo or install an RPM equivalent. That's what I remembered.

CentOS, being an enterprise-level distro, doesn't want to break compability without jumping a major release. So an official build of FF3 for CentOS4 is probably not gonna happen.

I've installed 10.5.6 on two computers, one a MacBook Pro and one a PowerBook. The MacBook Pro works perfectly, but with the PowerBook I can no longer use the aluminum keyboard I had plugged into it. The keyboard still works if I plug it into the MBP and an older keyboard still works with the PB. It's just the PB and aluminum keyboard combination that doesn't work.

It's interesting you mention that. It seems that Apple has done "something" to the USB frameworks in this patch. Some people have reported improved USB performance and others have reported the inability to use DFU mode on the iPhone unless you put a USB hub in between.

I had a far worse problem with this update. Never had a problem with any other update before, but thank goodness for firewire on this one.

I downloaded and installed the update. Then, went to restart and it hung for over 45 mins at the Logo screen (with spinning circle). Considering it only took the G5, I did early in the day, about 5 mins, I figured something was wrong. I tried the install cd (repair disk, scan hardware) NOTHING. Last resort, target firewire, backed up my files and reinstalled the entire system. Must say it runs great now AND I still have all my files thanks to firewire. Of coarse I could have taken the HD out of the mbook, but that's a lot of work.

I had a far worse problem with this update. Never had a problem with any other update before, but thank goodness for firewire on this one.

I downloaded and installed the update. Then, went to restart and it hung for over 45 mins at the Logo screen (with spinning circle). Considering it only took the G5, I did early in the day, about 5 mins, I figured something was wrong. I tried the install cd (repair disk, scan hardware) NOTHING. Last resort, target firewire, backed up my files and reinstalled the entire system. Must say it runs great now AND I still have all my files thanks to firewire. Of coarse I could have taken the HD out of the mbook, but that's a lot of work.

My files were not on a USB HD (just saying), I could not install another OS (10.4.6) onto my FW dirve (even though I can boot from one, says the manual) I never tried using it as a usb drive because, well, because it has fw, why downgrade.

But that is a somewhat reasonable way to do it. Of coarse if you have two macs with FW wouldn't it just be faster, and more simple to use Target FW Mode.